“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it” (Matthew 13:45-46).
The Bible records the stories of many who were seeking the truth and found Jesus. There is the story of Simeon.
“Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying: ‘Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation’ ” (Luke 2:27-30).
In the third chapter of John Nicodemus’ search led him to Jesus. He was looking for a teacher and miracle worker. He found a Savior who gave him a brand new start in life.
Finding Jesus calls for decisive action. The merchant in this parable immediately sold everything else he valued because what he found was greater than all the other things combined. Jesus is worth more than anything else we could possibly possess.
The apostle Paul expressed the same truth his letter to the Philippians.
“What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ” (Philippians 3:8).
Paul had spent his life working zealously on his religious behavior. When he met Jesus on the road to Damascus he willingly gave up his dependence on his own righteous performance and embraced the free gift of salvation. That’s the bargain Jesus offers each of us in this simple story.
